Talking machine needle



Feb. 14, 1950 NlcOLE 2,497,366

' TALKING MACHINE NEEPLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1946 A. NICOLE TALKING MACHINE NEEDLE Feb. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1946 L gi i atenteci signor to Hermann Thorens Societe Anonyme, Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, a firm of Switzerland Application August 5, 1946, Serial No. 688,459

- In Switzerland August 24, 1945 4 Claims. 1

The present invention-.relates to talking machine needles. Talking machines in which the needle is protected against the shocks by a device fastened to the piflbup box itself, are already known. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pick-up in which the protecting device is fastened to the needleitself and in order to avoid any prejudicial inertia increase of the oscillating system, this device bears on the one hand upon the needle and, on the other hand, upon the record or the sound band.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved talking machine needle the pointed extremity of which carries a device adapted to cover the needle point at rest and to uncover the same under the action of a movin surface onto which the needle is lowered in playing position.

Other purposes and objects will be apparent from the further and more detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which represent, by way of examples, several embodiments of the invention.

' In the drawings each of the Figures 1 to 4 represents one of those embodiments in sectional front elevation at rest and in playing position and in side elevation at rest.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the needle N, which may be an ordinary metal needle or a sapphire, carries on its pointed extremity, a rubber sleeve I I having a spatula-shaped lug l2 bent in such a way that its enlarged rim comes at rest to cover the point ID of the needle and protect it, against the shocks which may occur when the pick-up suddenly falls onto the surface [3 of a record or a sound band to be played. The lug I2 is directed with respect to the surface l3 so as to be drawn by this surface ahead of the needle when this surface rotates in the direction of the arrow 1. The point of the needle is then free and enabled to enter the sound groove of the record or of the band to be played under the weight of the pick-up to which the needle is fastened.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the lug l2 has its outer face partly covered by a lining [4 of unresilient material such as metal which is in-.

tended to preserve it from wear and tear and to render it more rigid.

In the example of Fig. 3, the lug I2 is directed with respect to the surface 13 in the opposite directicn to that of the examples 1 and 2, and is provided with an aperture l5 through which the point of the needle is allowed to enter the sound groove when the surface 13 is rotated in the di- 2 rection of the arrow 1 and draws'the lug forwards. g

In the three of those embodiments, the rubber sleeve assumes'in addition the function of an'oscillation damper in that it bears on the one hand on the needle, and on the other hand upon the moving surface of the record or sound band. Its position near the point of the needle allows it to assume this function in particularly favourable condition for playing records. In the case of Fig. 3 a further advantage of the rubber sleeve results from the fact that the protecting lug sweep up the dust ahead of the point of the needle when the record rotates. The protecting sleeve may be permanently or removably fixed to the needle.

In the example of Fig. 4, the protecting device is constituted by a lug l6 of resilient metal integral with a ring I! frictionally engaged on the needle I0. The lug I6 is shaped and sized so that its rim bent under the point of the needle lies, at rest, at a distance from this point sufficient to prevent the latter to contact the lug under the effect of a shock.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a talking machine needle having its pointed end adapted to engage the sound groove of a record, a sleeve of elastic and damping material fitted on the shank of the needle above its pointed end in close contact therewith, said sleeve being formed integral with a downwardly turned resilient lug bent under the point of the needle to prevent contact of said needle point with a record until upon rotation of the record said lug is drawn from under said point, said lug being adapted to remain in contact with the record when the needle point engages the sound groove of said record thereby to dampen the oscillations of said needle.

2. In combination with a talking machine needle having its pointed end adapted to engage the sound groove of a record, a sleeve of elastic and damping material fitted on the shank of the needle above its pointed end in close contact therewith, said sleeve being formed integral with a downwardly turned spatula-shaped lug positioned ahead of the needle in the moving direction of the record and bent under the point of the needle to prevent contact of said needle point with the record until upon rotation of the record the enlarged end portion of said lug is drawn ahead of said point, said enlarged end lug portion being adapted to remain in contact with the record when the needle point engages the sound groove of said record, thereby to dampen the oscillations of said needle.

3. In combination with a talking machine needle having its pointed end adapted to engage the sound groove of a record, a sleeve of elastic and damping material fitted on the shank of the needle above its pointed end in close contact therewith, said sleeve being formed integral with a downwardly turned spatula-shaped resilient lug positioned behind the needle with respect to the moving direction of the record and bent under the point of the needle to prevent contact of said needle point with a record until upon ro+ tation of the record said be'ntlu'g is *drawn ahead of said point, said lug being formed with an aperture through which the point of the needle is allowed to pass to engage 'the sound groove when said bent lug is drawn forwards by said record, said lug being adapted to remain in contact with the moving record when the needle 'po'int engages the sound groove through said aperture, thereby to dampen the oscillations of said needle.

4. In combination with :a talking machine needle having its pointed and adapted to engage the sound groove of a record, a sleeve of elastic and damping material fitted on the shank of the needle above its pointed end in close contact therewith, said sleeve being formed integral with a downwardly turned resilient lug bent under the point of the needle to prevent contact of said needle point with a record until upon rotation of the .recerd'said lug .is drawn from under said point, said .lu g being adapted'to remain in contact with the record when the needle point engages the sound groove of said record thereby to dampen the oscillations of said needle, and a lining bf rigid and wear resistant material covering the "outer face of said bent portion of the lug.

AMEDEE' NICOLE REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

